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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wind — moving air
  5. roll — a list
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bank — of a river
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. plane — a tool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com